Ursulines Alive Spring 2014

Ursulines Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph Proclaiming Jesus through education and Christian formation

Spring 2014 Vol. 12, No. 3

www.ursulinesmsj.org

Sisters Keep Active 2014 Jubilarians New Postulant

Ursulines Sow Seeds of Hope

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From our Congregational Leader Dear Friends, Think with me for a moment about “seeds” – the noun, the verb, the image, the reality, the potential. What in your life has been your experience with seeds? Can you imagine all the ways seeds can affect our lives?

I can still picture the windowsills in my mom’s kitchen in Houston, Texas, where we always had an avocado seed suspended with three toothpicks in a glass of water, waiting for the tree to begin. Such a big seed from a small fruit.

Sister Sharon Or the tiny mustard seed preserved in a clear globe that I wore as a special Sunday School necklace. Almost invisible poppy seeds and blackberry seeds would stick in my teeth. Watermelon-seed-spitting contests enlivened summer gatherings and made quite a mess.

We’ve all probably hoped that our ideas might seed the discussion that yielded a creative new insight or instigated a long-hoped-for action. And I imagine that each of us has helped seed a field with dandelion puffballs, blowing the parachute seeds or scattering them in the wind.

Perhaps you’ve heard of the seeds that spend years as potential only, surviving months and years of drought only to burst forth in record time when they receive just a pinch of moisture. Or you’ve been amazed at the seeds that reproduce best in disasters, such as the Monterey Pines whose cones need high heat – such as a forest fire – before they release their seeds to germinate.

And, of course, we know from Mark 4:20, “But those (seeds) sown on rich soil are the ones who . . . bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.” In her Tenth Legacy, Saint Angela reminds us to sow the good seeds that “unite (us) in heart and will . . . because the more united (we) are, the more Jesus Christ will be in (our) midst as a . . . Good Shepherd.”

As you reflect on the gardens and forests you might already have sown with your own seeds of faith and hope, please enjoy the stories of these Ursuline seeds who are truly yielding a hundredfold in God’s gardens, fields and forests.

See how our not-really-retired sisters remain active and engaged in God’s harvest. And decide whether you can come join us for the energy and fun of our very first “Get Moving at the Mount” 5K Run/Walk. What a delightful way to spend a spring morning in May. So, whether you are scattering dandelions, saving your heritage tomato seeds or preparing to seed acres of corn, rejoice that together we can all be about sowing the seeds of God’s love. Thank you for sharing that mission with us.

In Angela, Sister Sharon Sullivan, OSU, Congregational Leader Cover: Some of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph provide a “seed of faith and hope” as they serve as the only Ursuline in these geographic areas.

Clockwise: Sister Martha Keller, left, leads a bible study discussion every Thursday morning after Mass at St. Jerome Church in Fancy Farm, Ky. Sister Rose Karen Johnson shares some encouraging words with Deborah Legrand after saying the Lord’s Prayer with her.

Sister Alicia Coomes plays her guitar as server Michael Turner holds her music during the Feast of Corpus Christi at St. Ambrose Church, Henshaw, Ky.

Did you know that the very first National Catholic Sisters Week was celebrated on March 8-14, 2014?

Ursulines Alive is published by the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, Maple Mount, Ky. Three issues are published each calendar year.

EDITORS: Director of Mission Advancement/Communications.........Dan Heckel, OSUA

Communications Specialist/Graphic Design.......................Jennifer Kaminski, OSUA MISSION ADVANCEMENT STAFF:

Director of Development....................................................Sister Amelia Stenger

Coordinator of Mission Effectiveness................................Sister Rose Marita O’Bryan

Coordinator of Ursuline Partnerships................................Marian Bennett, OSUA

Coordinator of Formation for Ursuline Partnerships........Sister Marietta Wethington

Administrative Specialist/Web Developer..........................April Ray Mission Advancement Assistant.........................................Sister Catherine Barber 2

In this issue Sisters Serving Alone Bring a Religious Presence to Many Locations.................3 Sisters Staying Active............................6 Sisters Hosting their First 5K.................7 2014 Jubilarians.....................................8 Not Really Retired.................................9 Stephany Joining the Ursulines..........10 Statement of Accountability.............. 11 Retreat Center ....................................12 Center is a Peaceful Place...................14 In Memoriam Awards.........................15 Soli Deo Gloria ....................................16 We rejoice in the gifts of our sisters, given for the kingdom of God

Our Mission We, the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, sustained by prayer and vowed life in community, proclaim Jesus through education and Christian formation in the spirit of our founder, Saint Angela Merici.

Our PURPOSE Freeing and Nurturing Women and Children

OUR CORE VALUES • Prayer • Service • Empowerment • Justice • Contemplative Presence ...in the spirit of Saint Angela Merici

Contact Us Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph 8001 Cummings Road Maple Mount, Kentucky 42356 270-229-4103 Fax: 270-229-4953 info.msj@maplemount.org www.ursulinesmsj.org Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ursulinesmsj Follow us on Twitter: ursulinesmsj and LinkedIn, YouTube, Google Plus

Sisters serving alone hope to spread Ursuline seeds

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LEFT: Sister Teresa Riley, left, shares a smile with Shirley Mangan at the Calvert City (Ky.) Convalescent Center on March 6.

BELOW: Sister Martha Keller inside St. Jerome Church in Fancy Farm, Ky.

By Dan Heckel, Mount Saint Joseph Staff

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oppies and hollyhocks are two examples of flowers whose seeds can be planted in the fall and bloom in the spring. Some Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph are planting their own “Ursuline seeds” where they minister because they are the only sister in the community.

“I share stories, experiences and publications regarding info on the Ursuline charism with parishioners in Lawrence and Victoria, Kan.,” said Sister Marcella Schrant, an office assistant at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Lawrence. “I also share my stories and love for our mission with people in the community. I often talk about the Ursulines and let everyone know about special feast days.”

As the only Ursuline Sister serving in Lawrence, Sister Marcella knows her influence may be the main way someone she encounters learns about the Ursuline community.

“I have many dear people who love to share our stories,” she said. “A number of people from our parish have gone to the picnic in Maple Mount and many because of my presence, maybe, have contributed to the Ursulines. I hope that my being here has been a positive reflection of an Ursuline Sister and that I’ll be remembered as one who was a happy person and who loved being an Ursuline.”

When Sister Rose Karen Johnson moved to Muhlenberg County, Ky., in 1995, she was introduced to the highly Protestant area by two young boys on her doorstep who told her, “I guess you know you’re not wanted here.”

Her response was to wave to everyone she met and smile. “Now they wave to me,” she said.

Sister Rose Karen was joined by her sister, Sister Rose Theresa, from 1999

until her death in 2012, and since then she has continued her ministry as pastoral associate at St. Joseph Pastoral Center on her own. In those early days she purposely went out to spread the Ursuline charism.

“I invited people to become associates,” and they learned about what it means to be an Ursuline through their formation, she said. Since she arrived in 1995, 24 Ursuline Associates have been added from Muhlenberg County.

“They’ve got the spirit, they’ve got the leadership,” Sister Rose Karen said. “They run the meetings, I share prayer.”

Much of her ministry involves visiting with people of Protestant faiths or those who never go to church. She makes weekly hospital visits and drops in to see people scheduled for surgery or in long-term care, asking if she can say the Lord’s Prayer with them. Wherever she goes, she says she witnesses her faith to others.

She also remains vigilant in looking for new Ursuline Associates. She noticed a couple who come to St. Joseph Church, but who leave shortly after Mass. “I thought it would be wonderful to have them as associates and for them to have us,” she said.

Two sisters who are educators hope their presence among students is modeling their role as Ursulines.

“Students and parents see me daily,” said Sister Michael Marie Friedman, who is principal of St. James Catholic Regional School in Elizabethtown, Ky. “They see me involved in many school activities. I can’t say that my presence is uniquely Ursuline, but more of a presence of the state of religious life. The simplicity of religious Continued on page 4

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life is what I hear as comments from students and adults, and I do think that simplicity is a very Ursuline charism.

“I hope I plant seeds every day in and out of the classroom with the students that will follow them as they grow older and follow the vocation that God has in store for them,” Sister Michael Marie said.

Sister Laurita Spalding, a teacher at Holy Name School in Henderson, Ky., said, ‘Being true to myself in my daily dealings with students, parents and parishioners with whom I serve, hopefully, that (Ursuline) spirit is already apparent.”

Her entire 46-year ministry has been in an elementary classroom. “I feel that a classroom filled with ‘eager minds’ is an ideal place to plant seeds that will help the charism of the Ursulines grow now and for years to come,” Sister Laurita said. “I only pray that I can spark the spirit of simplicity and prayerfulness in all I touch through my teaching and through my ministry.”

Some of the sisters who are ministering by themselves are in small communities in western Kentucky where there are few Catholics.

Sister Alicia Coomes is the director of liturgy for parishes in Marion, Henshaw and Sturgis. “I am not just the only Ursuline, but the only woman religious in the two counties I serve, Union and Crittenden,” she said. “If people are going to know and experience the Ursuline charism, I have to be the one who helps them do that.

“I believe the gifts of hospitality and welcome are very present in my ministry of music and liturgy,” Sister Alicia said. “More recently I have found that Angela’s care for the widows/widowers has been an example for me as I have been present to a number of them. Their need to just have someone to talk with is so very important.”

Sister Alicia invites other parishioners to join her in visiting the homebound. “This not only brings more of the faith community to the homebound, but helps the

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(1) Sister Cecelia Joseph Olinger, center, presents bibles to Catholic gradua St. George Church in Van Buren, Mo., where Sister C.J. ministers. (2) Sister Elizabethtown, Ky., since 1990. (3) Sister Mary Ellen Backes holds a Brescia Springfield, Ill. (4) Sister Laurita Spalding helps a second-grade student wi Sister Michele Morek stands in front of the United Nations building in New coworkers (Peter Haack, left, a musician/bulletin editor, and Nicki Daneke,

companion see what I am doing in my ministry among them,” she said. “It helps them to see the necessity of ministry to the homebound as essential to parish life.”

Another avenue is playing with and being present to children. “I don’t ‘teach’ religious education, but I am there before their classes to pray with them,” she said.

“After Masses I try to be attentive to the little ones, whether that be the babies or the younger girls I let ‘play’ my guitar.”

She also finds it important to join in family times, whether for meals or to watch a University of Kentucky ballgame with them.

“The families here really want me to be a part of their lives in more ways than just ‘church’ time,” Sister Alicia said. “I feel very blessed by their welcome and inclusion in their families.”

Sister Teresa Riley is carrying on a 30year Ursuline tradition of serving in outreach in Benton.

“I continue to try to do this by following the example given us by Jesus Christ, living a simple life and being present to those with whom I come into contact, as I think Angela did,” Sister Teresa said. “Although there are few Catholics in Benton, I feel very much accepted by people of different faiths for who I am. When I first came to Benton to live about 2 ½ years ago, many people who are not Catholic said to me, ‘Are you our new sister?’ That gave me a feeling of belonging right away, and it helped me to know that the sisters who have preceded me have ‘sown good seeds.’”

Sister Teresa is fortunate to be in close contact with the very active Western Kentucky Associates, who meet four or five times a year for prayer, discussion and support.

Aside from being director of vocation ministry for the Ursuline Sisters, Sister Martha Keller is also pastoral

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ates of Van Buren High School in 2013. The bibles are provided by Michael Marie Friedman has been principal of St. James School in a University mug. She serves as pastoral assistant at St. Joseph Church, ith a math problem at Holy Name School in Henderson, Ky., in 2011. (5) w York City in 2012. (6) Sister Marcella Schrant, center, with two of her Catholic Charities) at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Lawrence, Kan.

associate at St. Jerome Parish in Fancy Farm.

“I am always looking for opportunities to share my life as an Ursuline Sister,” she said. “I have been a part of the summer youth camp here at Saint Jerome, called ‘Camp Connect.’ The service to the Catholic community and beyond was quite impressive. The event offers what I would consider ‘Ursuline-like’ opportunities to promote service, formation in the faith and community building. I am looking forward to participating again this summer.

“I also jump at the chance to speak about my vocation as a sister,” Sister Martha said. “I spoke to the secondgrade parish religious education program when invited to respond to their question, ‘What is an Ursuline Sister?’

It was a humorous and touching experience. They were very interested in where I live in Fancy Farm, and when I said my home faces the ball diamond, they said they knew exactly where to find me.”

Sister Martha strives daily to create an atmosphere of hospitality in her ministry among the people and readily prays with others in various situations.

“I strive to live a life of simplicity, sharing my space and anything that is needed to assist others in their needs,” she said. “I find myself looking for ways to build community and find that this faith community of St. Jerome readily initiates and strives to build a sense of community. I try to be visible within the community through participating in church events, public gatherings and family gatherings. The community is familyorientated and I am welcomed into their homes and family events frequently.”

Sister Mary Ellen Backes is the lone Ursuline Sister of Mount Saint Joseph in Springfield, Ill., where she is the pastoral assistant at St. Joseph Parish. However, the people in Springfield were served by Ursulines of the Roman Union for many years, and Sister Mary Ellen lived with them for 10 years.

“Almost everyone I meet in Springfield is familiar

6 with Ursulines and their reputation of service,” she said.

“I feel a calling to be the best Ursuline Sister of Mount Saint Joseph that I can be where I am. This means that in faith I somehow carry the same ‘light’ of love and care for others that is in every Mount Saint Joseph Sister. I try to be aware of this light shining forth in everything I am and do and say each day and in my relations with others.

We carry that ‘charism’ and are invited to share that charism together.”

Sister Mary Ellen likes to provide a home-cooked meal each Saturday after 4:30 Mass for parishioners and friends who enjoy gathering.

“All who come are always welcomed,” she said. “In this way I feel I experience often that ‘Ursuline charism’ shining right back at me from the people I welcome into my life and serve.” Ursuline Associate Karen Siciliano is very involved with Sister Mary Ellen’s ministry in Springfield.

Sister Michele Morek is the coalition coordinator for UNANIMA International in New York City and said she takes every opportunity to tell people she’s an Ursuline Sister.

“Usually when I say that they jump to tell me about an Ursuline they know, which is the Roman Union variety around here,” Sister Michele said. “I tell them the difference and make sure to tell them about our close-tothe-land unique part of the charism. If someone does not know about Ursulines, I tell them about Angela Merici.”

Sister Cecelia Joseph Olinger serves in three parishes in southeastern Missouri in a mostly Protestant area and makes a point to support local organizations and fundraisers as a Catholic and a sister.

She participated in Camp Re-NEW-All in June 2012 so that young people could see a “flesh and blood” sister, and if the opportunity arose, she shared that she is an Ursuline Sister of Mount Saint Joseph.

“It seems that I have a reputation for being a joyful person,” she said. “At least the chiropractor told me at my last visit to ‘Keep spreading joy.’ All I do is be my usual lively, outgoing self.”n

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Sisters keep their minds and bodies active Ursuline Sister Emma Cecilia Busam exercises at the Owensboro Healthpark twice a week – at age 92.

“I really think it’s something that’s vitally important all your life, but especially when you get older,” she said. “It keeps you healthy and there’s a lot of benefit to it socially.”

Staying active hardly makes Sister Emma Cecilia unique among the Ursuline Sisters. They take seriously their call to be “vibrant women who serve the needs of their communities,” and that also means keeping themselves moving.

Ursuline Sisters can often be found walking in their neighborhoods or along the grounds at the Motherhouse at Maple Mount. In the winter months they are making use of the exercise equipment indoors, or watching exercise videos.

It was this appreciation for the active lifestyle of the sisters that prompted the creation of the Get Moving at the Mount 5K Run/Walk, which will take place May 31 on the grounds of and area surrounding Maple Mount.

Excitement is building for the chance to experience the Mount with all the new birth of spring.

Sisters will either be participating or cheering on the runners and walkers. Some of the sisters who live in Saint Joseph Villa, the long-term care facility, will walk a lap in the hallways in solidarity with the competitors.

Staying active for the sisters in the Villa is nothing new, said Debbie Dugger, activities coordinator since 2007.

“Activity helps the sisters physically, mentally and socially,” Dugger said. “It keeps our minds going. They continue to think and problem solve, be creative.”

Aside from keeping range of motion going as the sisters age, the activities help keep the sisters interacting with others, Dugger said.

“They still want to go to meetings and retreats,” she said. “We’re trying to promote education. They still want to learn. We do current events to stimulate good conversation 6

LEFT: Sisters Eva Boone, Mary Angela Matthews and Lisa Marie Cecil make crafts in the Rainbow Room in Saint Joseph Villa on Jan. 27. The sisters make crafts at least once a month, more during the holidays, said Debbie Dugger, activities coordinator.

ABOVE: Sister Emma Cecilia Busam works out at the Owensboro Healthpark in 2013.

LEFT: Sister Celine Leeker enjoys embroidery and cross stitch. Some of her handmade items can be purchased at the annual Mount Saint Joseph Picnic.

LEFT: Sisters Mary Durr, Marie Bosco Wathen and Mary Louise Knott work on their motor skills by playing kickball in Saint Joseph Villa on Jan. 31. RIGHT: Sister Elaine Burke took advantage of the first warm day of the year on Feb. 19 to walk the grounds at Maple Mount.

LEFT: Sister Amelia Stenger, left, shows the sisters how to take their own blood pressure, as Sisters Luisa Bickett, center, and Annalita Lancaster watch, on Dec. 5, 2011.

That’s the day the sisters cut the ribbon on their new room of exercise equipment. They had received a grant of $4,555.98 from Owensboro Medical Health System for a fitness or nutrition project.

among them.”

The most popular activity is kickball, in which 10-12 sisters participate by sitting in a circle and kicking a beach ball back and forth. “It helps with their motor skills,” Dugger said. “It’s amazing.”

Other popular activities are bingo, monthly arts and crafts and a weekly visit from Dugger’s dog, Abby. “There are oodles of dog lovers.”

Consider joining these active sisters by participating in the Get Moving at the Mount 5K. Visit the Ursuline website at www.ursulinesmsj.org/help-the-sisters/5K today to register. (See more information on opposite page).

– By Dan Heckel, Mount Saint Joseph Staff

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Ursuline Sisters hosting 5K Run/Walk at the Mount in May...Hope to see you there!

Over the past 10 years the Ursuline Sisters have invited people to the Mount for dinner.

Each dinner had a wonderful theme. The first year was just like the Academy Awards because we had the premier of “Adventurous Hearts,” the story of our flatboat adventure down the Ohio River. It was such a great success, we decided to have a few more dinners. Over the years, we ate New Orleans shrimp creole, traveled to the Southwest with barbeque and even had an Hawaiian luau.

In 2008, a group of Ursuline Sisters from Kansas merged with our Kentucky Sisters. We added a new group of wonderful friends from Kansas. In order to keep in contact with our friends there we decided to have a Derby Day Dinner in Kansas. Having a dinner in both places each year was a little too difficult so we decided to have a dinner in Kansas one year and at the Mount in Kentucky the next year.

This year, we are having the dinner in Kansas on May 3 (Derby Day). We hope to have a great dinner and auction. It will be a time to visit with donors, friends and family.

After evaluating the dinner here at the Mount last year, we decided to do something different and have a 5K run/walk to bring new friends out to the Mount. May is a beautiful month here and we wanted to share that beauty with others.

So this year, the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph will host their first “Get Moving at the Mount 5K Run/Walk” on Saturday, May 31, 2014. This 5K race is open to walkers, runners, children and adults and will take place on the grounds of Mount Saint Joseph and the surrounding roads.

Registration will start at 8:15 a.m. on race day with the race beginning at 9 a.m. Online registration is now available through our website (www.ursulinesmsj.org) or you may print a registration form from our website and mail it. The registration fee is $20 until May 1 and then $25 through race day. Children six and under may participate for free unless they want a T-shirt and goodie bag. Please note, participants will not be guaranteed a T-shirt unless they register by May 10.

Participants can choose to run in honor or memory of a sister by paying an additional $10. Participants will receive an armband with

Get Moving at the Mount!

5K Run/Walk

Saturday, May 31, 2014 Registration: 8:15 a.m.

Race: 9 a.m.

The Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph are hosting a 5K “Fun Run!” It is open to walkers, runners, children and Join the adults and will take Fun! place on the grounds of Mount Saint Joseph and the surrounding roads.

All proceeds will support the ministries of the Ursuline Sisters.

COST: $20 per person if you sign up by May 1, 2014 $25 after May 1st and on race day. (Ages 6 and under free) Register by May 10th to be guaranteed a free T-shirt!

Run/walk in honor or in memory of a sister for $10 more.

Or if you cannot attend, you can sponsor a sister who plans to race!

Race will be chip-timed and awards will be given to the winners • Race packet pickup will be available at Brescia University the week before the race • Visit our website for details.

Located 12 miles west of Owensboro on Hwy. 56.

Register online (or print out a form):

ursulinesmsj.org/help-the-sisters/5k For more information, contact April Ray 270-229-2009 april.ray@maplemount.org

that sister’s name on it to wear during the race.

Another great way to support the sisters in this endeavor is to sponsor a sister to participate in the race. Please send these donations with the sister’s name you wish to sponsor to 8001 Cummings Road, Maple Mount, KY 42356, Attention: Sister Amelia Stenger.

Please make checks payable to Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph and include “5K” on the memo line.

All proceeds from the event will support the mission of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, who minister in education, pastoral ministry, nursing, social justice and a variety of other arenas where they have been called by God. The Ursuline Sisters currently serve in nine states, Washington, D.C., and in Chile, South America.

This scenic route with the sisters is the perfect family outing so be sure to mark your calendar to get moving at the Mount! Find the 5K on our website: www.ursulinesmsj.org/help-the-sisters/5k. For more information, contact April Ray at 270-229-2009 or april.ray@ maplemount.org.

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60 Years

Sister Susan Mary Mudd

Sister Mary Matthias Ward

Sister Jean Madeline Peake

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Sister Marie Montgomery

s

Sister Diane Marie Payne

Sister Mary Timothy Bland

Sister Lisa Marie Cecil

Sister Karla Marie Kaelin

Sister Joan Mary Riedley

Sister Laurita Spalding

Sister Melissa Tipmore

LEFT: Sister Marie Goretti Browning enjoyed a bowl of ice cream as the Ursuline Sisters celebrated the feast of Saint Angela Merici on Jan. 27 with a special liturgy and a delicious meal. Saint Angela founded the Ursuline Sisters in 1535 in Brescia, Italy.

LEFT: Sister Mary Cabrini Foushee found the baby Jesus in her King Cake and was crowned queen of Mardi Gras during a party on March 4 in Saint Joseph Villa. The sisters got a final day of celebrating in before Ash Wednesday.

Sister Clarentia Hutchins

ear Y 50 Golden Jubilees

Sister Rosanne Spalding, center, attended the National Catholic Youth Conference with a youth group from Precious Blood Parish, Owensboro, Ky., on Nov. 20-23, 2013 in Indianapolis. She serves as pastoral associate at Precious Blood.

70 Years

75 Years

Twelve Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph are celebrating jubilees of religious profession this year. They have dedicated a combined 695 years of service to God’s people. The jubilarians will be honored on July 12 during community days. You will learn more about them in our summer issue.

80 Years

12 Ursulines celebrating Jubilees of religious profession

Ursuline Sister Mary Celine Weidenbenner brought 26 students from Mary Carrico Memorial School in Knottsville, Ky., to the Motherhouse on Jan. 28 to square dance for the Ursuline Sisters. Sister Jane Miriam Hancock (ABOVE) and Sister Marie William Blyth (FAR RIGHT) were all smiles while talking with these young ladies.

Rachel Phillips, right, assistant in human resources, asks Sister Mary Rudina Klarer if she wants some sherbet as Sister Marie Bosco Wathen looks on. The Ursuline Sisters at the Motherhouse enjoyed the fifth annual High Tea on Feb. 14 in the dining room. The yearly event is planned by Sister Pat Rhoten as a way of showing gratitude for the sisters. Several staff members were involved in the preparation of the treats, tea, serving and cleanup.

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Not Really Retired...

Sister Lois Lindle keeps putting the pieces together she said. “There was a joy of seeing them learn to read, to do math by themselves and ... to get on a computer and not be afraid like their teacher.”

She left teaching in 2003 and joined a newly created ministry, the Catholic Pastoral Care Team at Baptist East Hospital in Louisville, to help serve the pastoral needs of Catholics who were in the hospital, Sister Lois said.

Sister Lois She vividly recalls the day she visited a man Lindle during who was angry because his test results were her days going to delay his expected release. “He cursed teaching at for 45 minutes and I listened,” she said. “Then St. Lawrence he said, ‘Will you pray with me?’ We said the School in Louisville, Our Father together. When I came out, all of the 1988-2003 nursing staff on that floor were waiting for me.

They all hugged and thanked me.” When the nurse went into his room a few minutes later, the man was Sister Lois Lindle was taught by Ursuline Sisters at St. sound asleep.

Bartholomew School in the suburbs of Louisville, Ky., several In 2005, Sister Lois came back to the Mount to be local of whom had a great impact on her. But it may have been the community life coordinator, meaning she was responsible for sister in charge of the cafeteria who taught her most about the sisters at the Motherhouse. It was a different assignment Ursuline hospitality. from anything she’d done.

Sister Lois’ father died when she was in the eighth grade, “It was scary and a blessing in disguise,” she said. “The but even before that her mother was the main support for the sisters gave me a lot of encouragement and kept me going. I family. To send the four Lindle children to Catholic school, saw prayer all around me.”

Sister Lois, her sister and two older brothers cleaned the She left that ministry in 2009, and started helping school cafeteria every afternoon. The head of the cafeteria transport sisters to doctor appointments, the hospital or just was Ursuline Sister Blanche Rita Bickett. trips into Owensboro. The time in the car, anywhere from 25 “She was very accepting, patient, loving and caring,” to 45 minutes each way, gives some special one-on-one time Sister Lois said. “She always had a special snack for us.” It with the sisters. “We learn more about each other,” she said. was Sister Blanche Rita who suggested Sister Lois attend Sister Melissa Tipmore, transportation coordinator for Mount Saint Joseph Academy in Maple Mount, and she the sisters, said Sister Lois does a thorough job at whatever worked to get her a scholarship. she attempts and is especially good about taking the senior Sister Lois first thought of becoming an Ursuline Sister sisters to their doctor appointments. in the sixth grade, because of the influence of Sister Frances “She had knee surgery and after six weeks of recuperation Therese Hagan and other sisters who taught her. She didn’t she has gone back to driving others with all the attentiveness consider it much during high school, but when she graduated in the world,” Sister Melissa said. “She is present to each from the Academy in 1956, Mother Ambrose Martin, the sister she takes and treats them like you would want your mother superior, brought her application papers to fill out. mother to be treated.”

Sister Lois did not turn the papers in, but Mother Ambrose Sister Lois also volunteers as a substitute on the was her father’s first cousin and her mother said that out of switchboard, is the leader of her small community prayer respect, she should fill out the papers. group and the Arise with Christ group. At the request of During this time, while canning with her sister at home, Sister Vivian Bowles, she leads the sacramental preparation the pressure cooker exploded and left Sister Lois with second- for five second-graders at St. Alphonsus Parish. “These kids and third-degree burns on her body. are bright, I’ve enjoyed it,” she said.

“The doctor said I couldn’t wear black against the skin In her spare time, Sister Lois keeps her mind engaged until it healed,” she said. With the sisters still wearing the by working jigsaw puzzles with Sister Catherine Marie habit in the 1950s, Sister Lois thought that was her excuse Lauterwasser, a hobby she began 21 years ago. not to enter the convent, but Mother Ambrose wrote to say “It’s a challenge, you don’t get static,” she said. She she could wear white under her clothing. can complete a 1,000-piece puzzle in a week, although it “I thought, ‘Oh shoot, I guess I have to go,’” Sister Lois sometimes takes longer if something else comes up. She also said. “But I will say that over these 57 years, I have been very enjoys playing cards and writing letters. happy.”

Friends can write to Sister Lois at 8001 Cummings Road, Sister Lois spent 44 years as a teacher, mostly to first- and Maple Mount, KY 42356. second-graders. “They were interested and wanted to learn,” – By Dan Heckel, Mount Saint Joseph 9 Sister Lois Lindle loves to work jigsaw puzzles in her free time. She and Sister Catherine Marie Lauterwasser completed this 1,000-piece puzzle in a week in January.

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By Dan Heckel, Mount Saint Joseph Staff

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Stephany Nelson to join Ursuline Sisters this summer

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hen Stephany Nelson listened to the new bishop of Owensboro, Ky., the Most. Rev. William Medley, talk to the students at her school in March 2010, she had no idea he was also talking to her.

“Someone here is called” to the priesthood or religious life, Bishop Medley said that day at St. Joseph School in Bowling Green, Ky., where Stephany is a first-grade teacher. As she looked around the room, for the first time she began thinking she was the one being called.

“I put it aside and prayed about it,” she said. “Scripture says ‘If it comes from God, it will not pass away.’ (Acts 5:39) I took it that God was speaking to me. It just never went away.”

Nearly four years after that first seed was planted, Stephany officially made the request to become a postulant with the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, which will happen this summer.

Her time as a postulant can last from nine months to two years, and then she will have the opportunity to become a novice and officially an Ursuline Sister of Mount Saint Joseph.

“It’s been a wonderful journey,” Stephany said. “God’s hand puts these people in your path. It’s humbling and inspiring. It makes me want to be the best person I can be.”

Stephany converted to Catholicism in 2005, so becoming a sister was not in her plans. Although she told no one of the vocation thoughts in her head, Stephany kept meeting people who discussed religious life, she said. In 2011, the Sisters of Charity came to St. Joseph School to talk about their history of starting the school. One sister talked about her vocation story and said everywhere she went, she saw a priest or a sister or heard a story about vocations.

Shortly after that, Stephany took the vocation placement questionnaire online through Vision magazine and began looking at religious community websites. The Ursulines were among her top matches.

“One Sunday morning at Mass in

February 2011, I just couldn’t keep it in anymore,” she said. “I happened to be sitting next to my principal and told her.

She said she would put me in contact with (Ursuline) Sister Suzanne Sims.”

Sister Suzanne put her in touch with Sister Martha Keller, director of vocation ministry for the Ursuline Sisters.

“I already knew (Sister Martha’s) name because I had been to the Ursuline website and saw her picture,” Stephany said. “She answered all my questions and made me feel comfortable. I had already signed up for a retreat at the Mount on the Book of Ruth (led by Ursuline Sister Cheryl Clemons). It was so peaceful, a really great experience. It turned into a great love for Mount Saint Joseph and the sisters. Saint Joseph has been central to all this.”

She was attracted to the Ursulines because she has a desire to remain

an elementary school teacher and to educate people about the Church. She has been an elementary school teacher for five years.

“I believe education is the best way to explain who God is,” she said.

Many of the Ursuline Sisters are former primary grade teachers. “I love talking to the sisters about teaching first-graders,” Stephany said.

She’s learned a lot about herself during her discernment process.

“I learned I don’t have to be perfect to become a sister,” Stephany said. “God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called. God will give me what I need.

God is calling me just as I am.”

The story of the apostle Paul is a great help to her, she said. “God changes

Stephany Nelson, who will join the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph this summer as a postulant, poses in her classroom at St. Joseph School in Bowling Green, Ky.

people. I’m on this journey because this is where God wants me,” she said. “It’s a call.”

Sister Martha said Stephany ​‘s continued formation will need to look different. “The whole community has a role in forming her in addition to her postulant and novitiate director,” Sister Martha said. “This is so important because she does not have a classmate.”

Stephany moved a lot with her family when she was growing up, mostly between Illinois and Florida. She went to a Baptist college for her first degree and was looking into children’s evangelism as a career. She moved to Louisville for school, but when she applied, she found the program had changed.

She was teaching music and preschool in Indiana and working at a Family Christian Stores in Louisville.

Her manager was from Bowling Green and Stephany moved there to enjoy a smaller town feel. The church she was attending was not a positive experience for her, but when she attended a koinonia at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, she met two people who were “the most real people she had ever met,” Story continued on page 15

10

S p r i n g

2 0 1 4

Planting Seeds ...

Seeds store life and their growth shows rebirth and renewal. Seeds are wonderful teaching tools. One of the most enjoyable things a teacher can do is have children plant seeds. While the children watch their seeds grow and mature, they learn so many lessons about life. They learn about the need for water and good fertilizer. They learn about the need for sunlight and the importance of weather in growing things. They learn responsibility as they take care of their seeds. A whole unit of study can center on the growth of those seeds.

The Ursuline Sisters have planted many ‘seeds’ over the years. This issue of Ursulines Alive is about sisters who continue to sow seeds in parishes, organizations and special ministries. They have been called to minister in these areas and represent the whole community as they serve. Where any one of us serves, the whole community is there serving with our prayers and support. We are never alone. We are feeding the hungry, teaching the migrant, sharing the blessing of water, ministering to the sick and homebound, teaching women skills so they can help their families, teaching of the horrors of trafficking and so much more.

Our sisters have planted seeds in many parts of the United States and in South America. When the sisters went to New Mexico in the early 1900s, or began the mission in Chile in the 1960s, we knew that those few sisters were the beginning of ministries that would affect many people’s lives over the years. We don’t have as many sisters there today, but we can look back and remember and see the effects of our mission work. God has blessed us and the people we served and continue to serve.

Many of those people with whom we worked are still our friends today. You volunteer at our picnics. You are associates who pray with us and for us. You are alumnae of Mount Saint Joseph Academy and the many other schools where we taught.

You are wonderful people who share your time, talent and treasure with us.

Our sisters have given in so many ways but we have also received so much in return. So many of you are donors who help us continue our mission today and into the future. You support our annual fund and the other fundraising events we have throughout the year. We could not continue to plant the seeds of our mission without your support. We would not be able to plan for the future without the planned gifts many of you have promised. You are helping us plant the seeds of hope and for that we are and will be forever grateful.

May your spring and Easter season be blessed with many new beginnings and seeds of hope.

Sincerely, Sister Amelia Stenger, OSU Director of Development Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph

Statement of Accountability As a member of the National Catholic Development Conference, the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph submit an accountability report after their annual financial audit. This is a summary of Donations/ Bequests and Expenses for fiscal year ending June 30, 2013. If you have questions, call Sister Amelia Stenger at 270-229-2008.

Revenue_______________________________

Unrestricted Restricted MSJ Center Chile Missions Grants Bequests Unrestricted Bequests Restricted Retirement Retirement Quilt Club Annual Dinner Picnic

380,040.78 59.45% 3,500.00 0.59% 5,397.00 0.84% 8,754.00 1.37% 2,500.00 0.39% 27,011.93 4.23% 5,000.00 0.78% 16,659.00 2.61% 32,012.50 5.01% 25,382.11 3.97% 132,691.68 20.76%

639,249.00 100.00%

Expenses______________________________

Retirement Fund Chile Ministry Restricted MSJ Center U.S. Ministry/Program Service Management/General Fund Raising

186,363.18 29.15% 8,754.00 1.37% 3,800.00 0.59% 5,397.00 0.84% 387,366.99 60.60% 34,594.79 5.41% 12,973.04 2.03%

639,249.00 100.00%

Save the date! The Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph Annual BBQ Picnic is Sunday, Sept. 14, 2014 11

A Ministry of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph

New attendees Gary May, left, of Eddyville, Ky., and Rich Derry of Calvert City listen to the Jan. 9 Study of the Catechism discussion.

Catechism study participants gather in a conference room on Feb. 13 to listen to Sister Ann McGrew, top left, and Sister Marietta Wethington discuss the sacrament of marriage and the role played by Saint Thomas More.

A 2014 calendar of Center events can be found online at www.ursulinesmsj.org. Click on Conference and Retreat Center.

Give Peace, Quiet and Prayer a Chance

LEFT: Kathy Rasp, administrative assistant to Bishop William Medley, looks over her notes.

Nearly 50 members of the Catholic Pastoral Staff of the Diocese of Owensboro came to the Center on Feb. 10 for a day of retreat.

RIGHT: At 11:30, they shared Mass with the Most Rev. William Medley, on the fourth anniversary of his ordination as bishop of Owensboro. Here, Bishop Medley, left, and Bishop Emeritus John McRaith look over the liturgy guide prior to Mass.

Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center Calendar of Upcoming Events - 2014 APRIL

North American Ursuline Leadership Conference..................April 29-May 1 MAY

Christian Women’s Retreat................................ Thursday-Sunday, May 1-4 Study of the Catholic Catechism for Adults................ Thursday, May 8 Diocese of Owensboro Diaconate Program......... Friday-Sunday, May 9-11 Yarn Spinning Day......................................................... Saturday, May 10 Owensboro Catholic 6th Grade Prayer Day...................... Tuesday, May 13 Mount Saint Joseph Academy Alumnae Weekend......................May 17-18 5K Run/Walk at Mount Saint Joseph (9 a.m.).................. Saturday, May 31 JUNE

Study of the Catholic Catechism for Adults............. Thursday, June 12 Associates and Sisters Day............................................. Saturday, June 14 Buddha Sangha Retreat............................... Monday-Saturday, June 16-21 Y-DOSA Summit......................................... Thursday-Saturday, June 19-21 Christian Leadership Institute....................................... Week of June 22-27 Diocese of Owensboro Diaconate Program...... Friday-Sunday, June 27-29 JULY

St. Jude Youth from Michigan for Habitat.........................Week of July 7-12 Ursuline Sisters’ Community Days............ Wednesday-Saturday, July 9-12 Conference/Directed Retreats for Women Religious ........... July 13-19 St. John’s Youth from Michigan for Habitat....................Week of July 20-26 Spiritual Direction Training Program (Week 4) ...... Week of July 21-25 Diocese of Owensboro Diaconate Program...... Friday-Sunday, June 25-27 Center-sponsored programs are in bold type. Please call to register.

To register or to schedule your event, call Kathy McCarty 270-229-0206 • kathy.mccarty@maplemount.org The Retreat Center is located 12 miles west of Owensboro on Hwy. 56 12

Members of the Our Lady of Lourdes Youth Group in Owensboro, Ky., had a “Girls Night Out” on Feb. 7 at the Center. They gathered for a photo in the Madonna Room. From left are Paige Anderson, Hannah Garvin, Leslie Wilson, Abbie Tichenor, Regan Neal and Hannah Baird.

Diane Sutton, right, heard her friends in Memphis, Tenn., talk about how much fun it was to come to the Quilting Friends each year at Mount Saint Joseph, so she came this year. Each February, quilters gather to donate their time and talents to make tops for quilts that are raffled off in the Ursuline Sisters Quilt Club and at the Mount Saint Joseph Picnic. “I was taught by Sisters of Mercy,” Sutton said. “The nuns just do a wonderful job of doing for others. Anything I can do to help others is great.”

S p r i n g

Sister Ann McGrew

2 0 1 4

Dear Friends of the Center, More than once many of us ask, “Will spring ever come?” This winter season has been a lot like a very long Lenten season, and we are eager to move forward to Easter.

Easter is a time of new life, warmth and light. What are your plans to make this Easter season and the rest of 2014 a time of spiritual renewal? Maybe a day, week or even a few hours in the quiet of nature at Maple Mount would be a good start.

Center Director

Praying every day is a way of allowing God to communicate with us. Along with daily prayer there is a need to take a special time away from everyday activities and “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps 46). Sometimes we need to share how our time with God is going. We need to step back and allow God to speak to us through the words of someone else.

In the Catholic faith tradition we call this “spiritual direction.”

God loves each of us individually and unconditionally. How do we respond to that kind of love? Sometimes we find the answer to that by talking with a spiritual director. Spiritual direction is offered to individuals, by appointment, at the Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center.

The Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center welcomed 34 seminarians, 10 priests and three brothers from the Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology for their annual retreat Jan 18-24. The seminarians met with the priests one-on-one and otherwise were in silent retreat. Each day they used the Motherhouse Chapel for confession between 9 and 9:30 a.m., and then had Mass at 9:45. Pictured above is the Mass on Jan 22.

We continue to offer sessions on the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults on the second Thursday of each month.

You are invited to attend any or all of the remaining sessions.

I ask you to remember to pray for all those who will come to Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center during these months: Spiritual direction training participants, deacon candidates, RCIA groups, Catholic Engaged Encounter groups and all others who come for retreat or time away from their daily home and work situations. God blesses us with their presence and we see God in them.

May God continue to bless you throughout these coming months.

In Saint Angela,

Sister Ann McGrew, Center Director ann.mcgrew@maplemount.org

If you would like to take a walk around Maple Mount, a Shrine Walk booklet can be found online at ursulinesmsj.org.

Click on About Us, History and then Sacred Places.

A Yarn Spinners retreat took place March 7-9 at the Center.

The activities included yarn spinning and learning how to dye yarn and fabric. Some of the participants who posed for a photo were, left to right: Jackie Ballou, Clarkson, Ky.; Tammie Borjesson, Owensboro, Ky.; Sister Eva Boone, Maple Mount; Lea Vollmer, Evansville, Ind.; Fran Scott, Dahlgren, Ill.; Melanie Tapp, Clarkson; Cassidy Thompson, Sebree, Ky.; Callie Begly, Reynolds Station, Ky., and Brenda Semar, Leitchfield, Ky.

OUR MISSION: Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center offers and hosts programs in a rural environment of tranquility for people of all ages and faiths to nurture spiritual and personal growth, advance the arts and promote lifelong learning.

Whether you are an experienced spinner, weaver, knitter, crocheter or a beginner, you are welcome to attend the Arts at the Mount spinning gatherings at Mount Saint Joseph. Enjoy the fellowship of those who appreciate this traditional skill.

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. • The $15 fee includes lunch

To register, contact Kathy McCarty: 270-229-0206 kathy.mccarty@maplemount.org • www.ursulinesmsj.org 13

U r s u l i n e s

A L I V E

LEFT: Students study a shrine during a scavenger hunt on May 1, 2013. Over 100 sixth-graders from the Owensboro Catholic Schools came to Mount Saint Joseph for a day of prayerful activities.

LEFT: Center balcony.

RIGHT: Ernie Taliaferro takes some time to reflect during the Feb. 10th retreat for the staff of the Diocese of Owensboro.

Retreat Center offers peace not found elsewhere In nearby Owensboro, the town is abuzz with the potential that the bright and shining Owensboro Convention Center will bring. The Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center is thrilled to welcome this wonderful new neighbor to our community.

The Convention Center is a focal point for a myriad of regrowth in downtown Owensboro, and the word that gets used over and over to describe these times is “exciting.” Everyone loves some excitement, and at times, being in the midst of all the activity is exactly where we need to be.

Sometimes, however, we need peace. No one has to start the world moving too fast, it is nonstop just about everywhere one looks. Trying to carve out time to rest, to reflect and to wonder where God is leading us is a much tougher task.

Fortunately, finding a place of peace is easy. Located on the holy ground that is home to the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph in Maple Mount, the Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center offers a place of calm and quiet, and just about 20 minutes from Owensboro.

Meeting rooms of various sizes can handle any group, and home cooked meals can be tailored to your tastes. Maybe your co-workers need a chance to get away from the ringing phones and plan for the future? Maybe your social group needs a place to help them bond? Maybe you want to deepen your faith or learn a new skill with one of the many retreats offered by the Retreat Center?

Or maybe you just need some time to yourself to clear your head and restructure your priorities? Spring is upon us.

Come, walk among the dozens and dozens of varieties of flowers and trees that adorn the Maple Mount grounds, some of which were planted more than 100 years ago. Let the beauty of nature fill you with your own excitement.

We have a saying at the Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center: “Give peace, quiet and prayer a chance.” Don’t you think you owe it to yourself to try?

Come out for a visit today. To schedule some time at the Retreat Center, contact Kathy McCarty at (270) 2290206, or kathy.mccarty@maplemount.org. Visit the Retreat Center page on our website to see what’s awaiting you, www.ursulinesmsj.org.

Join us for Catholic Catechism We are pleased to offer these opportunities to study the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults. Feel free to attend any or all sessions.

• April 3 • May 8 One Thursday each month* • June 12 Study the *Except July • Aug. 14 Catechism 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

• Sept. 11 with us!

Each session is $10 (includes lunch) • Oct. 9 A program book is $5 • Nov. 13 LED BY: Sister Ann McGrew & Sister Marietta Wethington • Dec. 11

14

To register, call Kathy McCarty: (270) 229-0206 or email kathy.mccarty@maplemount.org Located 12 miles west of Owensboro on Hwy. 56

Mark Your Calendars...

• “At the Feet of Jesus, Our Refuge and Our True Good Master” – Summer Conference and Directed Retreats for Women Religious. July 13-19, 2014. Director: Sister Kathryn J. Hermes, FSP. Saint Angela Merici’s words from her Last Legacy are the inspiration for this contemplative, practical retreat. Directed Retreat leaders will be Ursuline Sisters Helen O’Brien, Mary Matthias Ward and Marietta Wethington.

• Saint Angela Retreat Day – Aug. 9, 2014.

Director: Sister Marietta Wethington.

• Marian Retreat – Oct. 18-19, 2014.

Director: Monsignor Bernard Powers.

• “Walking with the Poor: Bishop Oscar Romero and Pope Francis” – Nov. 22, 2014. Director: Father Anthony Shonis.

And the 2013 Sister Darlene award goes to...

Rev. Larry Higginbotham, center, receives the Sister Darlene Make a Difference Award on Sept. 26, 2013 from Roxanna Trivitt, executive director of Shively Area Ministries, and the Rev. John Frazier, board chair.

Stephany

In 2011, Shively Area Ministries in Louisville, Ky., created the Sister Darlene Make a Difference Award in 2011 to honor Ursuline Sister Darlene Denton and the work she did for 10 years with the ministry serving the poor.

Sister Darlene died Sept. 5, 2011, and each September a volunteer or staff person who shares an idea that creates positive change is honored.

The person receiving the award demonstrates effective leadership and encourages growth and development in their area of work.

The 2013 honoree was the Rev. Larry Higginbotham, one of the Sister Darlene three founding pastors that formed Shively Area Ministries in 1988 out of Dixie Valley Church of God. For many years he served as an advocate and champion for ecumenical service to meet the unmet needs in the community. Brother Larry, as he is more commonly known, retired from Dixie Valley in 2007, but returned as pastor in 2012 and renewed his partnership with Shively Area Ministries. He and Dixie Valley led the Habitat fundraising campaign and they drove the first nails into the house and raised the roof. As they worked together, Brother Larry always referred to Sister Darlene as “My” Sister Darlene. There was a mutual admiration for each other as they worked toward a common goal of uniting the Shively community to serve its neighbors in need.

From page 7

she said.

“It was a transformational experience,” she said. “I believed I could be something more.”

Stephany decided to go back to school to get her degree in elementary education, which she completed in 2008, and soon after she got the job at St. Joseph. One of her other passions is singing.

“It can sometimes break through the silence and bring out the joy in my life,” she said. “The Burmese sing at our church, their love of the Lord is special to me, and I don’t even understand the words.”

In her free time she likes to read inspirational novels and work jigsaw puzzles. “We always did jigsaw puzzles as a family,” Stephany said. “When I’d visit the sisters and they would do jigsaw puzzles, it was wonderful.”

Stephany’s advice to someone considering religious life is to talk to someone trustworthy and begin spiritual direction.

“Someone who knows your heart and can guide you on the steps you need to take next,” she said. “Try to keep an open mind. Be honest with yourself.” n

2014 Sister Agnes Catherine award...

Sts. Joseph and Paul Catholic Church in Owensboro, Ky., presented its annual Sister Agnes Catherine Williams, OSU, Stewardship Award for 2013 to Theresa McCarty of Owensboro. The award is presented Sister Agnes Catherine to someone who provided Theresa outstanding ministry to youth and McCarty their Catholic formation. McCarty is a teacher at Owensboro Catholic Schools K-3 campus. “She is a great example of love and patience with children. Theresa always has a smile.

She is a volunteer for the Mount Saint Joseph Picnic and the church Block Party, is an Extraordinary Minister of Communion, a Koinonite and is involved in Arise,” the church wrote. Created in 2007, this award honors the late Sister Agnes Catherine (19052007), who dedicated her life to educating God’s children, many of them at Sts. Joseph and Paul School.

LENTEN SERIES

Stephany Nelson, Sister Mary Celine Weidenbenner and Sister Mary Henning pose at the Oct. 27, 2013 Immaculate Parish appreciation dinner for women religious in Owensboro, Ky.

Sister Mary Jude Cecil, far right, leads French lessons for the Sisters of the Lamb of God (from left are Miriam Kavanagh, a novice, and Sisters Debra Ann Bailey and Deborah Lynn Masterman). The Motherhouse for the Lamb of God Sisters is in Brest, France. Sister Mary Jude was a high school French teacher for many years.

LEFT: Sister Cheryl Clemons was the first presenter in a three-part Lenten series in March at St. Stephen Cathedral, Owensboro. The series was based on the book, “The Return of the Prodigal Son,” by Henri Nouwen. Sister Cheryl spoke to a crowd of about 50 people on March 13 about the Younger Son in the parable in the Gospel of Luke. She also talked about the Rembrandt painting of the Prodigal Son.

LEARNING FRENCH 15

8001 Cummings Road Maple Mount, KY 42356-9999 270-229-4103 www.ursulinesmsj.org info.msj@maplemount.org If you have a smartphone, this QR code leads to our website!

Soli Deo Gloria

We rejoice in the gifts of our sisters, given for the kingdom of God Sister Mary Ellen Backes was honored with the Magnificat Award in the Diocese of Springfield, Ill., where she serves as pastoral assistant at St. Joseph Parish. She has served at St. Joseph in Springfield since 1995, when she was an Ursuline Sister of Belleville, Ill. That community merged with the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph in 2005. The Magnificat Award is a diocesan recognition established in 2002 – the 150th year of the diocese.

She received her honor at a Dec. 8, 2013 celebration at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield. Seven other religious sisters, one Franciscan brother and lay members were among the honorees. Sister Mary Ellen is director of religious education for the parish school of religion and the former St. Joseph School, and director of the parish RCIA program. She is an ex-officio member of the parish pastoral council and a member of several subcommittees. She is an organizer of a weekly adult bible study. She was a member of the first graduating class of the Spiritual Direction Training Program at Mount Saint Joseph in 2006 and offers spiritual direction in Springfield.

Sister Teresa Riley was featured in the newsletter for Saving Sight, the nonprofit organization that helped provide her corneal transplants to improve her vision enough to return to active ministry. Saving Sight operates vision health programs and aims to be “a model for how eye banking and charitable vision services can most effectively serve people and communities,” according to its website. Sister Teresa had two transplants and a cataract removed over a two-year period. She is now ministering in hospitals and nursing homes in the Benton, Ky., area. To read the article about Sister Teresa, visit www.saving-sight.org.

Sister Raymond Dieckman served as a hospice chaplain at Hospice of Olathe Medical Center in Olathe, Kan., from 1994-2007, when she was an Ursuline Sister of Paola. In February 2004, she was named one of the “Heroes in Healthcare” by Ingram’s, Kansas City’s Business Magazine. In February 2014, Sister Raymond received a special letter from Frank Devocelle, president and chief executive officer of Olathe Health System, telling her how much everyone missed her. “You may know we are building a beautiful Hospice House on our campus,” Devocelle wrote. “I view you as the cornerstone of our hospice program and of our new Hospice House. You are such a special person!” Sister Raymond, who lives in Saint Joseph Villa in Maple Mount, said her time working with Hospice was some of the most special of her life. The new Hospice House is expected to open in late summer of 2014.

Sister Cheryl Clemons (seated at left) facilitated the Chapter of Affairs for the Ursuline Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Toledo, Ohio, Feb. 21-22, assisted by Sister Marietta Wethington (seated at right). The Toledo Ursuline community discussed where they would like to direct their hopes and dreams for the next four years. In circles of conversation, sisters and associates looked at issues and concerns that need to be addressed or new ideas to be explored, with the discussions wrapped in the context of the writings of Saint Angela Merici, the community Constitution and Scripture. Sister Cheryl and Sister Marietta returned to Toledo on March 27 to facilitate the community’s Chapter of Elections.